Carolyn P. Phillips is nationally recognized in the field of assistive technology and disabilities. She currently serves as the Interim Director of AMAC Accessibility Solutions and Research Center at Georgia Tech. Carolyn served as Director and Principal Investigator of Tools for Life, Georgia’s Assistive Technology (AT) Act Program at Georgia Tech | AMAC. In this capacity, she oversaw a wide range of AT projects and programs, including the National Pass It On Center. Ms. Phillips teaches a graduate class at the University of Georgia in the College of Education. She is a frequent keynote speaker at conferences and guest lecturer at other universities. She has published articles in journals, chapters in books in AT and poetry focused on living with disabilities. Carolyn has dedicated her time and energy to promoting the independence of all people, including those with disabilities through advocacy, education, assistive technology and systems change. Among other awards and recognitions, she has received the National Rehabilitation Association’s Belle Greve Award for “outstanding contributions and major positive impacts” in the disability community. The Department of Labor in Georgia also gave her the Director’s Award for “extraordinary and diligent service on behalf of people with disabilities.” She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, and her Master's Degree from the University of Kentucky. Carolyn lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Description
This session will focus on a personal journey of living with learning disAbilities and the transformational power of assistive technology (AT). We will explore the collective role each of us play in promoting student success beyond the educational environment and the powerful role of AT in this process. We will examine outcomes that can occur when self-advocacy, inclusion, universal design for learning and appropriate assistive technology solutions are integrated into the lives of individuals with disAbilities. This session will provide participants with helpful tips, opportunities to explore emerging trends and identify specific AT strategies and solutions to promote success in the school setting and that can ultimately assist with smooth transitions into the workplace and community.
This is a hands-on exhibit hall including national and local vendors in all areas of Assistive Technology. Open all four sessions.
Makerspace: Electronics
Bill Binko
Room 301
Description
This session is an explore session. The Makerspace is open for exploration during Sessions 1, 3 and 4. The focus of this session is Electronics. Session 2 will involve a presentation on Lesson Pix.
STEM programs provide access to amazing technologies and with the self-teaching power of YouTube, today's young makers can do things unheard of in previous generations. However, most of them create solutions without problems: they apply their skills to toys and diversions rather than the real-world challenges they know nothing of. Meanwhile, ATPs have fewer resources than ever before. Customization needed for each client is beyond their own technical abilities, and most have no access to engineers to bridge the gap. In short, they have no makers and no tools. ATMakers.org introduces STEM programs to the AT community. This session will present the results of our collaborations, show hands-on demonstrations of our student-built designs and provide a live walk-through of our best-received ATP primers (Home Automation, DIY Switch Interfaces and more). ATMakers.org
About
A self-proclaimed geek with a background in computer and electrical engineering, Bill married into Special Education and went on to found LessonPix.com. He has now created ATMakers.org, a new non-profit effort to introduce STEM and Robotics programs to Assistive Technology.
Materials/Handouts
Make-n-Take: LowTech Curriculum Supports for Students with Cognitive Disabilities (ticket required)
Juanita Pritchard
Room 319
Description
LowTech Support in accessing the curriculum for students with cognitive impairments. Make materials that can be used with a variety curriculum content and allow students to be actively involved in the learning process.
About
Juanita Pritchard has 35+ years in Georgia supporting students and teachers of students with significant cognitive impairments in the classroom ,in Community Based Vocational Instruction, Assistive Technology, and as an ID Specialist. Currently working with METRO WEST GLRS and private consulting.
Materials/Handouts
Choose and Create Materials for Diverse Learners (V)
Christine Jones - Benetech
Room 320
Description
Schools are widely adopting ebooks and online resources that offer interactivity and customization to enhance the learning experience. And, many educators are creating their own learning materials, either from a single source or from multiple sources. However, these materials do not necessarily meet the needs of all learners. Although they boast many attractive characteristics, ebooks, interactive online content, and other digital resources often present problems for students with a variety of learning challenges. This session will explore some of these students’ challenges and how to select and create materials that work for the widest possible audience. It will also feature Bookshare, the world’s largest ebook library for people who read differently, which is free for all qualified U.S. students. Participants will experience materials that do and do not work for all students and receive checklists to help them choose materials for diverse learners.
About
Christine Jones conducts outreach to school communities nationwide on behalf of Benetech, a nonprofit focused on transforming, through innovative solutions and industry initiatives, how information and education are made accessible to all. Since 2009, through dozens of face-to-face and virtual presentations, Christine has helped numerous educators, administrators and state leaders become more aware of the varied content needs of today’s students and of key resources of content in alternative formats. Christine partners with state education leaders and other organizations to bring about improved outcomes for people of all ages who have learning barriers. Prior to joining Benetech, she worked in both education and technology marketing. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.
Materials/Handouts
Mind Mapping - An Assistive Reading & Writing Tool (V)
Brandon Conrad, Calvin Mitchum
Room 321
Description
MindView has been designed to help students with learning disabilities create impressive written assignments and presentations. The smooth transition from a Mind-Map to Word and PowerPoint means students can make powerful academically formatted documents.
Materials/Handouts
Toys and Technology Adaptations: Preschoolers with Disabilities Learning Through Play
Peggy McWilliams, Lisa Nevitt
Room 343DescriptionIn the world of disabilities, Lekotek remains unique – it’s a chance to focus on abilities and a place where every child experiences success and inclusion. At Lekotek adapted toys, educational materials and computer input devices help all children learn through play. Every day, Lekotek is making a difference for children who cannot write, use the keyboard, see the monitor or read a printed page. Touch windows affixed to the monitor and activated with the touch of the child’s hand, adapted computer input devices, specialized software and iPad applications are used during hour long play/learning sessions. iPads and Eyegaze technology have been a great addition to the Lekotek inventory and children with spina bifida, cerebral palsy, muscular dystrophy, developmental delays, genetic disorders, autism, Down syndrome and hearing and visual disabilities are benefiting from this new technology. Adapted toys, computer software, peripheral access devices and iPad applications will be demonstrated. Specific “success stories” will be presented. AboutPeggy has been on Lekotek’s staff for over twenty years. She is the director of technology services. Peggy conducts play sessions, compuplay, computer and iPad evaluations. Materials/Handouts
Transition Tips: Assistive Technology Success: From K-12 through College and Careers
Dr. Tonisha Johnson
Room 359
Description
This session will empower participants to employ research-proven strategies to support students with disabilities in accessing meaningful assistive technologies within the K-12 setting and throughout college and careers. As well, this session will provide an overview of research on transition planning efficacy and will provide insight regarding the interconnectedness of transition planning and assistive technology toward helping students reach their highest potential as young adults. This session is the "must see" presentation for all 21st-century educators, parents, therapists and administrators who work to increase functional, social and academic achievement of students with disabilities within our schools and communities.
About
Dr. Tonisha Johnson Doctor of Education, Educational Leadership- Georgia Southern University Education Specialist, Education Administration and Supervisor- Lincoln Memorial University Masters of Education: Instructional Technology, Troy State University
Materials/Handouts
Accessible Math: Create It, Save It, and Use It
Frank Sapp
Crescent 2206
Description
With STEM careers and education becoming a critical focus, it is imperative that students with disabilities be included. This presentation will go over what accessible math is, what makes it accessible, how to create it and how to use it. Software to create accessible math will be shown and demonstrated. Software to read accessible math and their features will be demonstrated.
About
A retired Federal Statistician, who has worked in the AT field since 2004. He is a MOS and certified Read & Write Gold trainer among other certifications. He has an MBA from Georgia State University with additional graduate courses from Rollins School of Public Health. He has trained and presented on computers and assistive technology at conferences, group training and webinars. He taught Introduction to Computers for over 10 years at a Technical College in Georgia. He also has several published books in the Amazon store.
Materials/Handouts
Leveling the Playing Field with Read and Write for Google
Amanda Denmon, Anna Doll
Piedmont 1106
Description
Participants will learn how Read and Write for Google can empower students in an inclusive environment to participate in a variety of activities regardless of their learning styles or deficits. A co-teaching team will discuss how the classroom environment has evolved from the inception of this UDL extension through Chrome. Student experiences will be presented to participants through work samples and student interviews. The teachers will share the barriers they experienced before the use of the extension and successes after the extension was introduced into the general education environment.
About
Amanda Denmon, MEd Instructional Technology, and Anna Doll, MEd Special Education, encourage the use of Read & Write for Google with their students to access general education curriculum without barriers. Their experience has led to an increase in intrinsic motivation, test scores, and confidence for the students they teach.
Materials/Handouts
Take This Down: Note-Taking Skills, Strategies, and Tools for Students with Dyslexia and Other Language Learning Disabilities
Scott Goode, Joseph Walsh, Victoria Brickenden
Peachtree Room
Description
Note-taking requires a constellation of skills more complicated than you may think, in more ways than you probably imagine. Successful note-taking requires either the mastery of a highly complex developmental language progression or very sophisticated strategies and work-arounds - and these are seldom fostered by the direct classroom instruction they require. In this presentation, we offer a model for successful note-taking that emphasizes processing over capture and provide many of the tools teachers need to ensure that their students approach mastery by the time they graduate high school.
About
Scott is the Principal of the High School at the Howard School in Atlanta. He has degrees from the University of California at San Diego and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In addition to extensive teaching experience at all levels of the school, Scott's most recent teaching was in high-school science and mathematics.
9:00 - 10:00
GATE Talk: Carolyn Phillips
"Living Your Best Life: The Power of AT"
About
Carolyn P. Phillips is nationally recognized in the field of assistive technology and disabilities. She currently serves as the Interim Director of AMAC Accessibility Solutions and Research Center at Georgia Tech. Carolyn served as Director and Principal Investigator of Tools for Life, Georgia’s Assistive Technology (AT) Act Program at Georgia Tech | AMAC. In this capacity, she oversaw a wide range of AT projects and programs, including the National Pass It On Center. Ms. Phillips teaches a graduate class at the University of Georgia in the College of Education. She is a frequent keynote speaker at conferences and guest lecturer at other universities. She has published articles in journals, chapters in books in AT and poetry focused on living with disabilities. Carolyn has dedicated her time and energy to promoting the independence of all people, including those with disabilities through advocacy, education, assistive technology and systems change. Among other awards and recognitions, she has received the National Rehabilitation Association’s Belle Greve Award for “outstanding contributions and major positive impacts” in the disability community. The Department of Labor in Georgia also gave her the Director’s Award for “extraordinary and diligent service on behalf of people with disabilities.” She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia, and her Master's Degree from the University of Kentucky. Carolyn lives in Atlanta, Georgia.Description
This session will focus on a personal journey of living with learning disAbilities and the transformational power of assistive technology (AT). We will explore the collective role each of us play in promoting student success beyond the educational environment and the powerful role of AT in this process. We will examine outcomes that can occur when self-advocacy, inclusion, universal design for learning and appropriate assistive technology solutions are integrated into the lives of individuals with disAbilities. This session will provide participants with helpful tips, opportunities to explore emerging trends and identify specific AT strategies and solutions to promote success in the school setting and that can ultimately assist with smooth transitions into the workplace and community.Materials/Handouts
Exhibit Hall
Description
This is a hands-on exhibit hall including national and local vendors in all areas of Assistive Technology. Open all four sessions.Makerspace: Electronics
Bill Binko
Description
This session is an explore session. The Makerspace is open for exploration during Sessions 1, 3 and 4. The focus of this session is Electronics. Session 2 will involve a presentation on Lesson Pix.STEM programs provide access to amazing technologies and with the self-teaching power of YouTube, today's young makers can do things unheard of in previous generations. However, most of them create solutions without problems: they apply their skills to toys and diversions rather than the real-world challenges they know nothing of. Meanwhile, ATPs have fewer resources than ever before. Customization needed for each client is beyond their own technical abilities, and most have no access to engineers to bridge the gap. In short, they have no makers and no tools. ATMakers.org introduces STEM programs to the AT community. This session will present the results of our collaborations, show hands-on demonstrations of our student-built designs and provide a live walk-through of our best-received ATP primers (Home Automation, DIY Switch Interfaces and more).
ATMakers.org
About
A self-proclaimed geek with a background in computer and electrical engineering, Bill married into Special Education and went on to found LessonPix.com. He has now created ATMakers.org, a new non-profit effort to introduce STEM and Robotics programs to Assistive Technology.Materials/Handouts
Make-n-Take: LowTech Curriculum Supports for Students with Cognitive Disabilities (ticket required)
Juanita Pritchard
Description
LowTech Support in accessing the curriculum for students with cognitive impairments. Make materials that can be used with a variety curriculum content and allow students to be actively involved in the learning process.About
Juanita Pritchard has 35+ years in Georgia supporting students and teachers of students with significant cognitive impairments in the classroom ,in Community Based Vocational Instruction, Assistive Technology, and as an ID Specialist. Currently working with METRO WEST GLRS and private consulting.Materials/Handouts
Choose and Create Materials for Diverse Learners (V)
Christine Jones - Benetech
Description
Schools are widely adopting ebooks and online resources that offer interactivity and customization to enhance the learning experience. And, many educators are creating their own learning materials, either from a single source or from multiple sources. However, these materials do not necessarily meet the needs of all learners. Although they boast many attractive characteristics, ebooks, interactive online content, and other digital resources often present problems for students with a variety of learning challenges. This session will explore some of these students’ challenges and how to select and create materials that work for the widest possible audience. It will also feature Bookshare, the world’s largest ebook library for people who read differently, which is free for all qualified U.S. students. Participants will experience materials that do and do not work for all students and receive checklists to help them choose materials for diverse learners.About
Christine Jones conducts outreach to school communities nationwide on behalf of Benetech, a nonprofit focused on transforming, through innovative solutions and industry initiatives, how information and education are made accessible to all. Since 2009, through dozens of face-to-face and virtual presentations, Christine has helped numerous educators, administrators and state leaders become more aware of the varied content needs of today’s students and of key resources of content in alternative formats. Christine partners with state education leaders and other organizations to bring about improved outcomes for people of all ages who have learning barriers. Prior to joining Benetech, she worked in both education and technology marketing. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Science from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of Phoenix.Materials/Handouts
Mind Mapping - An Assistive Reading & Writing Tool (V)
Brandon Conrad, Calvin Mitchum
Description
MindView has been designed to help students with learning disabilities create impressive written assignments and presentations. The smooth transition from a Mind-Map to Word and PowerPoint means students can make powerful academically formatted documents.Materials/Handouts
Toys and Technology Adaptations: Preschoolers with Disabilities Learning Through Play
Peggy McWilliams, Lisa Nevitt
Adapted toys, computer software, peripheral access devices and iPad applications will be demonstrated. Specific “success stories” will be presented.
AboutPeggy has been on Lekotek’s staff for over twenty years. She is the director of technology services. Peggy conducts play sessions, compuplay, computer and iPad evaluations.
Materials/Handouts
Transition Tips: Assistive Technology Success: From K-12 through College and Careers
Dr. Tonisha Johnson
Description
This session will empower participants to employ research-proven strategies to support students with disabilities in accessing meaningful assistive technologies within the K-12 setting and throughout college and careers. As well, this session will provide an overview of research on transition planning efficacy and will provide insight regarding the interconnectedness of transition planning and assistive technology toward helping students reach their highest potential as young adults. This session is the "must see" presentation for all 21st-century educators, parents, therapists and administrators who work to increase functional, social and academic achievement of students with disabilities within our schools and communities.About
Dr. Tonisha JohnsonDoctor of Education, Educational Leadership- Georgia Southern University
Education Specialist, Education Administration and Supervisor- Lincoln Memorial University
Masters of Education: Instructional Technology, Troy State University
Materials/Handouts
Accessible Math: Create It, Save It, and Use It
Frank Sapp
Description
With STEM careers and education becoming a critical focus, it is imperative that students with disabilities be included. This presentation will go over what accessible math is, what makes it accessible, how to create it and how to use it. Software to create accessible math will be shown and demonstrated. Software to read accessible math and their features will be demonstrated.
About
A retired Federal Statistician, who has worked in the AT field since 2004. He is a MOS and certified Read & Write Gold trainer among other certifications. He has an MBA from Georgia State University with additional graduate courses from Rollins School of Public Health. He has trained and presented on computers and assistive technology at conferences, group training and webinars. He taught Introduction to Computers for over 10 years at a Technical College in Georgia. He also has several published books in the Amazon store.
Materials/Handouts
Leveling the Playing Field with Read and Write for Google
Amanda Denmon, Anna Doll
Description
Participants will learn how Read and Write for Google can empower students in an inclusive environment to participate in a variety of activities regardless of their learning styles or deficits. A co-teaching team will discuss how the classroom environment has evolved from the inception of this UDL extension through Chrome. Student experiences will be presented to participants through work samples and student interviews. The teachers will share the barriers they experienced before the use of the extension and successes after the extension was introduced into the general education environment.About
Amanda Denmon, MEd Instructional Technology, and Anna Doll, MEd Special Education, encourage the use of Read & Write for Google with their students to access general education curriculum without barriers. Their experience has led to an increase in intrinsic motivation, test scores, and confidence for the students they teach.
Materials/Handouts
Take This Down: Note-Taking Skills, Strategies, and Tools for Students with Dyslexia and Other Language Learning Disabilities
Scott Goode, Joseph Walsh, Victoria Brickenden
Description
Note-taking requires a constellation of skills more complicated than you may think, in more ways than you probably imagine. Successful note-taking requires either the mastery of a highly complex developmental language progression or very sophisticated strategies and work-arounds - and these are seldom fostered by the direct classroom instruction they require. In this presentation, we offer a model for successful note-taking that emphasizes processing over capture and provide many of the tools teachers need to ensure that their students approach mastery by the time they graduate high school.
About
Scott is the Principal of the High School at the Howard School in Atlanta. He has degrees from the University of California at San Diego and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. In addition to extensive teaching experience at all levels of the school, Scott's most recent teaching was in high-school science and mathematics.
Materials/Handouts